The present invention relates generally to a photographic copying accessory and, more particularly, one which is adaptable for use with photographic apparatus of the self-developing type for providing photographic reproductions of photographic prints and the like.
For obtaining copies of positive prints, a person normally submits the prints to a retail store which then forwards them to a commercial photocopying concern. At such a concern, the requisite number of copies are made and the prints and copies thereof are returned ultimately to the customer. This process is relatively time consuming and relatively inconvenient inasmuch as it requires numerous customer trips to and from the store.
Various kinds of apparatus exist which facilitate the copying of photographic prints or other generally planar image bearing material. For achieving commercial success with such apparatus, it is generally desirable to obtain relatively high quality photographic reproductions in the least expensive manner.
One type is characterized by a camera enclosed permanently within the photocopying apparatus. Of course, this type tends to be relatively expensive and the attendant high cost factor is a significant drawback in the amateur camera market. Aside from this drawback, such a photocopying apparatus is relatively heavy and more cumbersome to use than is otherwise desirable. Furthermore, there is provided a separate artificial illumination system which must be compatible with the camera used. Examples of such kinds of apparatus are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,065,667; 4,200,392; and 4,300,827.
Another type of amateur photocopying apparatus is an accessory which releasably cooperates with a camera itself. These accessories provide a less expensive alternative than the type of apparatus noted previously. Such accessories when coupled with cameras of the instant developing type facilitate reproduction of prints in a relatively quick and easy manner. For instance, accessories of the type noted are generally described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,866,380, 3,697,175 and 3,653,760. For these accessories to function in a manner which provides acceptable prints, they must provide proper exposure in a manner which allows faithfull reproduction of the prints. For copying reflection type prints, such as described in the first two patents, an internal source of artificial illumination is provided in the accessory itself. This is, of course, an added expense. For copying transparencies the light source of the camera is utilized, such as described in the last noted patent.
The last noted group of accessories are also limited insofar as they are not used in conjunction with cameras having automatic ranging systems and, fill flash exposure systems, such as that described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,444.